... Not just because my team isn't there, but because when I watch the teams that are there... they demonstrate the type of HEART and determination that hasn't been seen in Raptorland since early in the VC era. My concern isn't with whether we win or lose. Obviously, I want to see us win just like anyone else. But we aren't even like a first season OKC, or like those young scrappy Sixers teams that weren't making the playoffs. I see how much a team like Boston invests itself emotionally into this game and then I look at our leaders, Bargs, Calderon, Derozan, and it pretty much disgusts me. I don't know if i'd go as far as to say i'm done with this team as others have, but I have no emotional connection whatsoever and feel nothing when I watch our games. And there's no indication of that changing anytime soon.

Yeah, Bokes it's kinda true, when you see the emotion go to a whole nother level in the playoffs. Guys like Keyon Dooling, Pietrus, Bass and then of course their stars, it's a whole different level for sure. The raps basically played meaningless games all year long, at least in terms of making the playoffs, they did play hard, but who has that edge and ability to get their guys going. Garnett is clearly it for boston.

I've been a big advocate for bringing in Jeremy lamb and just building another year with youth.
But.....

Starting
Calderon, lamb, derozen, bargs and Val......
Who's that passion going to come from and who will keep the other guys accountable.
Their bench would be solid with Bayless, James Johnson, Kleiza, Davis and Amir Johnson....... but who is the guy in that group that can really bring that intangible.
Calderon is a good leader, very professional, but lacks the real edge like a Chris Paul or KG, or Rondo. Westbrook even has a real edge to him.

Maybe we would be best served bringing in someone in a trade situation that has that intangible, someone that people will listen to and follow.

Who is that guy? It's certainly not lamb, who I like as a player. Maybe it's Val, I don't know, but it's not bargs or derozen or any of the bench guys.

Casey is that guy from the bench but it must be extended onto the court.

Exactly. See that's my whole thing. It's more than just playing hard. Your core guys have to be the guys who you draw your emotion and passion from. All good teams have THE guy or in some cases multiple guys who they draw that energy from. I guarantee you, you put guys like Derozan, Ed Davis, Amir, Kleiza, Bayless, on a team like Boston and we'd be looking at them like wtf? Why are they so much better and playing with so much more emotion all of a sudden? It's all dependent on what you have at your core.

Prodigy,
I don't think we're trying to be unfair, it just seems like individually, the raps are a collection of really good guys, good athletes, very young with lots of potential, but who are the true emotional leaders. I'd say probably Jose is, and I like him, but not as the emotional leader. There aren't a lot of guys that have that real ability to make people do what they need to do. Now imagine if you had garnett as your starting center, just hypothetically and that you got lucky enough to get him as a free-agent or you traded away amir, bayless and your 8th pick for him.
Imagine what a difference he'd make culturally with bargs and Val and ed davis. KG would rub off on those three and it would be contagious. I'm just trying to imagine Davis and bargs especially how they'd benefit from being around somebody like that, who would get in their face when they are not doing their job, or emotionally pumping them up for every game and practice.
Right now, if you had to say on the raps, who is going to be that guy. I'm not sure you could realistically say they have one. And that's a problem. The only guy I see is Casey, and that's a great start, but there needs to be someone on the floor who can do that, preferably 2 or 3.

^^ Precisely. Do you guys remember when Jermaine O'neal was on our team? Even in the very limited time he played with us he was that guy and he made a difference. It's none of their faults, we just don't have that personnel right now.

... Not just because my team isn't there, but because when I watch the teams that are there... they demonstrate the type of HEART and determination that hasn't been seen in Raptorland since early in the VC era. My concern isn't with whether we win or lose. Obviously, I want to see us win just like anyone else. But we aren't even like a first season OKC, or like those young scrappy Sixers teams that weren't making the playoffs. I see how much a team like Boston invests itself emotionally into this game and then I look at our leaders, Bargs, Calderon, Derozan, and it pretty much disgusts me. I don't know if i'd go as far as to say i'm done with this team as others have, but I have no emotional connection whatsoever and feel nothing when I watch our games. And there's no indication of that changing anytime soon.

/Rant

Well said. Those raptor teams of the 2000s had a ton of grit. Our team lacks both an identity, and personnel. No street hunger.

That isn't a bad start although I really want the Raps to pickup another pick in the 10-15 range and take Kendall Marshall. We need another young, floor general type PG to take over for Jose. Then we can trade his expiring contract before the trade deadline for another young player to add to our core.

That isn't a bad start although I really want the Raps to pickup another pick in the 10-15 range and take Kendall Marshall. We need another young, floor general type PG to take over for Jose. Then we can trade his expiring contract before the trade deadline for another young player to add to our core.

If the raps were smart this is what they would do. Unfortunately it looks like they'd rather not acquire either Lamb or Marshall when they should be looking for both.

I'm glad some people get what i'm saying. It's definitely not just a matter of talent, or lack-thereof. If that was the only problem, i'd still have something to cheer for.

On a side note, I wanted Boston to take it in 6 so badly but my logic told me that they would probably lose it as always.. I guess I could live with a Miami/OKC final as it would be the more exciting of the 2, but at the same time I hate Miami so much and everything they stand for i'm still holding out hope for a Boston win.